A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

y extend our outreach in this Decade of Enlargement; and because Mennonite Brethren can present Christ through radio in a way not possible through other media. We recommend to the United States Conference of Mennonite Brethren churches that immediate and positive steps be taken to produce and sponsor a national Mennonite Brethren radio broadcast. We further recommend, that the existing program, "Words of the Gospel" be the basis of the future radio program under supervision of the United States Board of Evangelism and Christian Education. 41 The Words of the Gospel broadcast has found widespread acceptance in the churches as well as among radio stations. In 1971 the board reported that more than half of the time for the release of the program had been donated by various radio stations. 42 According to the latest radio-log (Fail, 1971) the program is presently being aired over thirty radio stations in sixteen states. In addition, it is also released over station WIVV in Puerto Rico. The words of Romans 10:18 are applicable to the radio ministries of the Mennonite Brethren: "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." Chapter 19 Facing Cultural Change The relation of Christianity to culture constitutes a problem that has perplexed the true followers of Christ through the centuries. 1 In the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition the tension between Christian faith and culture has often resulted in serious controversies and conflicts in the sphere of ethics. A changing culture demands a periodic reformulation of the Christian answer as well as periodic reevaluation of the Christian response to various social, economic, and political issues. Through the years, Mennonites in general, and Mennonite Brethren in particular, have not found it easy to be in the world, and yet not of the world. Because of migration from country to country with the resultant changes in language, vocation, education and customs, the Mennonite brotherhood possibly has encountered greater cultural changes than many other religious bodies. This in turn has created greater problems in relating an unchanging faith to new cultural patterns. During the relatively short period of a little more than one hundred years, the Mennonite Brethren have experienced the repeated impacts of tremendous cultural change: they have come from Europe to America, they have changed their language of communication from German to English; they have moved from the country to the city in large numbers; they have largely left agricultural pursuits and entered the various professions; and they have risen economically from lower class to middle class (or even upper middle class!) in society. Only a cursory survey of some of these changes and their influence on the faith and life of the M.B. Church will be attempted. Since the nature and effects of immigration have been described in previous chapters, they will not be